Moving to Miami?

[DonJeffrey]

Hi,

I'm a senior urban studies undergrad in Philadelphia, and the prospect of another northeast winter is making me think seriously about moving south after graduation!

I thought of Miami not just for its climate and its beaches, but also because I speak Spanish and Portuguese, and there are lots of Latinos and Brasilians there. Also, it's only 2 hours by plane from Philly and NYC.

But I really enjoy the fact that I can get around here on foot or bicycle, or by train to almost anywhere I'd like to go (even more so in NYC!). From what I can tell, public transit in Miami is not too developed yet, and I might need a car if I want to get anywhere around there.

So to those of you who know South Florida -- how car-oriented are the nicer "urban" areas of Miami, like Coral Gables and the Upper East Side? I've heard before that you can get around on the metro/bus, but how limiting are they? Would it be something like living in the Main Line suburbs of Philly, or Westchester in NY, where almost everyone owns a car in spite of decent public transit?

Also, more theoretically, do you think any of the urban spontaneity and diversity driven by sidewalk culture is lost in a highway town like Miami? I would imagine that if everyone is stuck in a metal box when they go out, you wouldn't see as many people walking around as you would in other big cities. But maybe I'm all wrong! Am I missing something?

Any responses would be greatly appreciated! I look forward to hearing what everyone thinks.

Abrazos,

Jeffrey

[latinposer]

actually,youre kind of right about Miami's transportation,but Miami is gonna get there,supposively,there was talks about a underground line,but that was for the replacement of 395 or something like that.But they were gonna put a ground level train type of transportation,but i dont know when it will start,maybe this will change people's views about Miami,because Miami is good we just need more vibe.But for its size its doing pretty good,because if it had a size of New York or Los Angeles it'll probably be as populated as they are.

[Brickell]

It's hard to compare any sunbelt city, even any other city in the US to Philly, Boston or NYC. You'll be sorely dissapointed if you're expecting a comparable way of life here. Most people do own cars. I do know a couple of people on the mainland that live without cars. Busses and metrorail work for the most part. Coral Gables and the "upper east side" both are quite walkable but lack the density of pedistrians that you'd find up north.

I think the best way to tell is to come down for a week or two. Miami has a lot of upswing. The condo and downtown developments across the city are amazing. There are quite a few transit projects on the board. Becoming a real life "city" seems to be pretty high on peoples lists of things to do down here. I live here and love it.

[prahaboheme]

South Beach is better without a car than with it, at least in my experience. It is probably the only city in the state of Florida (aside from say, St Augustine) where its more pedestrian friendly than auto-friendly.

[havok100]

I have lived in South Beach for the past 5 years without a vehicle. I carpool to work with my two other coworkers to Aventura. It is very pedestrian friendly with everything within walking distance. I save on gas, insurance and car payments, which I instead use to travel.

[DonJeffrey]

Thanks for your responses. I think it's worth giving it a try. The South Beach thing sounds enticing, maybe I can live near the beach with the money I save on cars!

[Brickell]

As far as I know, the beach isn't completely overpriced yet. If you're willing to live in an older building you can find some deals.